Vending apparatus.



H. RUBENSTEIN.

VENDING APPARATUS. v APPLICATION FILED AUG-5| 19m Patented Apr. 10,1917.

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H. RUBENSTEIN.

VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-5, I916.

Patented Apr. 10, 1917-.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Irw cv HWW 5 156 H. RUBENSTEIN.

VENDING APPARATUS.

APPLlCATiON FILED Aus.5. I916.

Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

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H. RUBENSTEIN. VENDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG-5, I916.

Patented Apr: 10, 1917'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

@TATEg PATENT @FFTGFL HARRY RUBENS TEIN, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;SAID RUBENSTEIN ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, JACOB EDGAR SEIFEBT, AND JOSEPHWAGNER, J'B., ALL OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VENDING APPARATUS.

Application filed August 5, 1916.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, HARRY RUBENSTEIN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Vending Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and compact structurefor the vending of various articles of a thin, flat character, beingparticularly adapted for the vending of newspapers, paper towels, orfiat packets generally.

These and other features of my invention will be more fully describedhereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of a vending structure made inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2, is a sectional elevation on the line IL-II, Fig. 3.

Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation on the line III-IIL Fig. 2.

Fig. l, is a sectional plan view on the line IVIV, Fig. 3, and

Figs. 5 and 6, are views illustrating different positions of certainparts of the apparatus that are assumed in the operation of the same.

The main body of the receptacle, indicated at 1, receives a plurality offolded newspapers or other fiat articles, such as paper towels, fiatpackets, and the like and, if desired, a weight may be disposed abovethe same to insure maintenance of the lowermost paper or article inposition to be discharged upon proper operation of the apparatus.

Below the body of papers, a sliding frame is mounted, comprising endpieces 2, adapted to slideways 3, at the sides of the structure, whichend pieces are connected by a crosspiece 4. The slidable end piecescarry pivotally disposed arms or levers 6 and 7, which are adapted to beplaced in operative position by an operating handle 8 to extract a paperor other article or object after the de posit of a coin in the slot 9 ofsaid handle;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. MI i917.

Serial No. 113,381.

a coin channel 9 being provided in the casing leading to said slot 9.

The arm or lever 6 is pivotally mounted upon a post 10, which isprovided with a torsion spring 11, tending to maintain said arm or leverin the inoperative position. The engaging portion 6 of the arm or lever6, is quite thin, and it is disposed to move in a plane coincident withthe lower newspaper, towel, or object to be vended, and is designed,when newspapers are being vended, to engage the bend or bight of thelatter; such bight portion being disposed in the forward part of themachine.

The arm or lever 7 is disposed in the same plane as the arm or lever 6,being pivotallymounted upon a post 12, and in addition, it carries aprojecting finger 13, extending rearwardly of the article-engagingportion 7 of the arm 7, and substantially in line therewith, for apurpose to be described.

\Vhilc the arm or lever 6 is pivotally mounted on the post 10 at itsend, the arm or lever 7 is pivotally mounted on its post 12 in a midposition, and the end 7 of the same is connected by means of a rod 1%with the arm or lever 6 substantially at the mid portion of the same.Hence, any movement imparted to the arm or lever 7 by engagement withthe finger 13 will be communicated to the arm or lever 6, so that thelatter may move simultaneously with the arm or lever 7 both of said armsbeing moved toward each other to engage an article to be vended and theengaging portion 7 of the arm or lever 7 moving in the same plane as theengaging portion 6 of the arm or lever 6.

Suitably mounted at the side of the ma chine and arranged to slide inline with one of the end pieces 2 of the sliding frame is the handle 8having a housing or guard 16 overlying the finger 13 of the arm or lever7 such housing being provided with a post having a roller 17 adapted toengage said finger 13 when the handle is pushed in, moving said fingerand with it the engaging portion 7 of the arm or lever 7 into engagementwith a newspaper or other article to be vended, and simultaneouslytherewith the engaging portion 6 of the arm or lever 6 is moved intoengagement with the same object or article at the opposite end of thesame.

The handle is slidable independently of the end section 2 of the frameupon which the newspapers or other articles are mounted, but is alsomovable therewith when locked thereto by the interposition of a coin,while below said slidable end is a shelf 20 having a slot 21communicating with a cash receptacle 22 into which the coin will dropwhen the handle is pulled forward to the full extent to withdraw anewspaper or other article carried by the machine.

The housing portion of the handle has the coin slot 9, and one of theend portions 2 of the sliding frame upon which the newspapers or otherarticles to be vended rest is provided with a slot 25, and these slots 9and 25 are brought into registry when the handle is pushed in, as shownin Fig. 5; such action also moving the arm or lever 7 on its pivot byengagement with the finger 13 thereof. When the handle is moved in thefull distance, the coin will drop into the slot of the end member 2,thereby looking it to the handle, so that if the handle be thenwithdrawn, the engaging portions 6" and 7 of the arms or levers 6 and 7will be held in the position to which they were moved to withdraw apaper or other article. The handle 8 may then be drawn out against thetension of a spring 30; one end of which is connected at 31 to thesliding frame support ing the newspapers or other articles, while theother end is connected at 32 to the fixed portion of a casing, until thecoin is brought into registry with the slot 21 leading to the moneyreceptacle, whereupon it will drop into the same. releasing the handleready for fresh insertion.

It is desirable that the handle be held in fixed position a short whileafter it has been pulled out in order that a paper may be extracted, andfor this purpose I provide a pivoted latch 35, carried by the casing,which is adapted to ride on a ledge 36 carried by the handle as thehandle is pulled out, and to drop into a notch 37 formed in the slidableend 2 at the end of said ledge, and the latter may slope into saidnotch. The notch is of relatively shallow depth, and disengagement ofthe latch therewith so that the handle may be retracted to normalposition for further operation, is readily accomplished by pushing thehandle rearwardly,

whereupon the sloping end of the ledge 36 will engage the latch 35 andlift it out of the shallow notch 37 in the slidable end 2.

It will be understood, of course, that the it may be moved back andforth in perfect alinement and without binding at any point, to insureproper cooperation with the sliding end 2 when the coin is inserted, andwithdrawal of the papers or other objects.

In order that the sliding ends 2 of the frame supporting the papers orother objects may freely move back and forth in complete pa 'allelism, Iprovide racks 4:0 on the under side of said sliding ends, with whichpinions ll, carried by a shaft -12 mesh; motion imparted to one of saidpinions at the handle end of the machine being transmitted directly tothe other pinion, so that both ends 2 of the sliding frame will movesimultaneously. 7

The receptacle. for the] papers or other vendible articles has its sideportions all slotted at 45 in line with a shelf 46 upon which the papersor other articles are delivered, so that the engaging portions 6 and 7of the arms or levers (3 and 7 may be moved forward to deliver a paperor other article through the slot or opening t7 under the front board Tofacilitate extraction of the paper or other article from the casing, theshelf 46 may be recessed as indicated at 49 to accommodate the fingersof the purchaser.

The receptacle may be filled by lifting the top 50, which is hinged at51, and after the papers or other vendible articles have been set inplace with a suitable weighted mem ber on top of the same, the top maybe secured in place against intrusion; a lock 53 being provided for thepurpose.

I claim:

1. The combination, in a vending machine, of a receptacle for flat unitsin superposed position, an outwardly movable slidably mounted bottom forsaid receptacle, movable members carried at the ends of said slidablebottonifor engaging the vendible units to withdraw the same upon theoutward movement thereof, and means for placing said engaging members inthe operative or unit-engaging position when moved in one direction andfor withdrawing the sliding bottom with said members in Opera tiveengagement with the lowermost vendible unit whereby the latter may beextracted, when moved in the opposite direction.

2. The combination, in a vending machine, of a receptacle for fiat unitsin superposed position, an outwardly movable slidably mounted bottom forsaid receptacle,

movable members normally inactive carried at the ends of said slidablebottom for engaging the vendible units to withdraw the same upon theoutward movement thereof, and slidable means for simultaneously placingsaid engaging members in the operative or unit-engaging position whenmoved in one direction and for withdrawing the slidable bottom with saidmembers in the operative position when moved in another direction; saidmembers moving with the slidable bottom and carrying out the lowermostvendible unit.

3. The combination, in a vending machine, of a casing adapted to receivesuperposed vendible units, an outwardly movable slidably mounted bottomfor said casing, means tending to hold said bottom in one position,article-engaging members normally inactive carried at the ends of saidsliding bottom, means for placing said engaging members in the operativeengaging position, and a handle for operating said sliding bottom afterthe insertion of a coin; said coin serving to lock the handle, engagingmembers and sliding bottom whereby the latter may be pulled out by thehandle; the article engaging members carrying out one of the vendibleunits.

4. The combination, in a vending machine, of a casing adapted to receivesuperposed vendible units, a sliding bottom for said casing, meanstending tohold said bottom in one position, article-engaging membersnormally inactive carried by said sliding bottom, means for placing saidengaging members in the operative position and for locking the same insuch position after the insertion of a coin, a handle, means for holdingthe handle when the latter is withdrawn, and means for impartingparallel movement to the ends of the sliding bottom.

5. In a vending machine, the combination of a casing receiving vendibleunits, a sliding bottom frame for the same, pivotally mounted engagingmembers carried by said bottom frame having arms adapted to engagevendible units to withdraw the same, means for turning said engagingmembers upon their pivots, said members being connected so that movementimparted to one will be transmitted to the other, and a torsion springcarried by one of said engaging members for moving both to the inoperative position.

6. In a vending machine, the combination of a casing receiving vendibleunits, a sliding bottom frame for the same, pivotally mounted engagingmembers carried by said bottom frame having arms adapted to engagevendible units to withdraw the same, one of said members having aprojecting tinge, means adapted to be brought into engagement with saidfinger to turn said engaging members upon their pivots, a rod connectingsaid members so that movement imparted to one will be transmitted to theother, a torsion spring carried by one of said engaging members formoving both to the inoperative position, and means for temporarilylocking said engaging members in the operative position whereby forwardmovement imparted to the same will extract one of the vendible units.

7. The combination, in a vending machine, of a receptacle for relativelyflat vend ible units in superposed position, an outwardly movableslidably mounted bottom for said receptacle, engaging members carried atthe ends of said slidable bottom and movable with said bottom andindependently of the movement thereof forextracting the vendible units,means for placing said engaging members in the operative position, andmeans for withdrawing the sliding bottom with said members in theoperative position and in contact with the lowermost unit; the sides ofthe receptacle being slotted for the passage of said engaging memberswhen the slidable bottom is moved forward.

8. The combination, in a vending machine, of a casing adapted to receivesuperposed vendible units, a sliding bottom for said casing, meanstending to hold said bottom in one position, article-engaging memberscarried by said sliding bottom, means for placing said engaging membersin the operative position, means for Withdrawing the sliding bottom, andracks and pinions for insuring parallel movement of both ends of saidsliding bottom in both directions.

9. In a vending machine, the combination of a casing receiving vendibleunits, a sliding bottom frame underlying said units and adapted to bewithdrawn and carry out the lowermost unit, pivotally mounted engagingmembers carried by said bottom frame having arms adapted to engage thevendible units to withdraw the same, a rod connecting said arms, meansfor turning one of said engaging members upon its pivot, such movementbeing imparted to the other engaging arm by the connecting rod, andmeans carried by one of said engaging members for moving both of thesame to the in operative position; said means being broughtautomatically into action when the means tending to hold said engagingmembers in the operative position is released.

10. The combination, in a vending machine, of a receptacle forrelatively flat vendible units in superposed position, movable membersslidably mounted at the-ends of said receptacle for engaging thevendible units, and means for placing said engaging members in theoperative position and for withdrawing said members when in theoperative positoin to extract a vendible unit.

11. In a vending machine, the combination of a casing receiving vendibleunits, pivotally mounted slidable engaging members adapted to bewithdrawn and carry out the lowermost unit, said members hav-

